US general defends Karzai

Former U.S. commander in Afghanistan Gen. John Allen offered
a defense on Monday of Afghan President Hamid Karzai, whose inflammatory
rhetoric has been repeatedly criticized by lawmakers and the Obama administration.

Allen said that Karzai has “the hardest job on the planet,” citing
a phrase from former U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan Ryan Crocker, because he must
balance domestic, regional and international politics amid the decade-long
Afghanistan war.

{mosads}Speaking at a Brookings Institution forum Monday, Allen said
that it was important to keep in context Karzai’s rhetoric and to understand
why he says the things he does. “Sometimes that rhetoric is harsh,” said Allen, who stepped
down as U.S. commander in Afghanistan earlier this month. “We don’t have to
agree with it, we don’t have to condone it, we don’t have to like it.”

The latest statement from Karzai that U.S. lawmakers did not
like came two weeks ago, when Karzai accused U.S. and coalition forces of
colluding with Taliban leaders to undercut his hold on power in the country.

Karzai has frequently frustrated U.S. lawmakers and the
White House, such as with his recent demand that U.S. special operations forces
leave Wardak province. Some lawmakers say that Karzai is one of the major
obstacles to a successful post-2014 transition in Afghanistan, when NATO forces
are set to hand-off power to the Afghans.

Allen made clear while talking about Karzai that he
disagreed with many of the Afghan leader’s comments and actions.  “We don’t have to like him and can even condemn
him,” Allen said.

But Allen also noted that he developed a strong personal relationship
with Karzai during his 19 months as head of the International Security
Assistance Force (ISAF), where Karzai showed his commitment to the overall
campaign. He talked about Karzai’s reaction to difficult incidents last year,
such as the Marine urination video, the burning of Qurans and a spike in
insider attacks.

Allen also told an anecdote about receiving a call from
Karzai while in the United States when Karzai learned that Allen’s mother had died,
which had occurred when Allen was still in Afghanistan.

Karzai asked why Allen didn’t tell him while he was there,
Allen said.

“Mr. president, you carry the weight of world on your shoulders
for your people. I didn’t want to add to your burden,” Allen said he told the
Afghan leader.

As to the suggesting that the United States was colluding with the
Taliban, Allen said that Karzai was just wrong.

“If in fact the president truly does believe the U.S. is
colluding with the Taliban, I’m here to tell you I would know — and we ain’t,”
Allen said. “And we don’t intend to.”